MD Do I have any chance at a MD program? (Cali Resident, Non-Trad)

[Belyzel4]

Hello everyone. I am convinced that my chances to enter an MD program and any future as a physician are gone. I have my application completed, but I have not submitted yet because of my concerns regarding my poor MCAT score and low GPA. Are there any MD programs that would bother accepting someone with my stats?

I am considering retaking the MCAT one last time to get closer or higher than my ~519 practice exams average because, at this point, I feel like my case for acceptance is non-existent.



Demographics
Gender: Male
Race: Indian (Asian)
Resident: California
URM Status: No
Disadvantaged Status: No


Academics
Undergraduate: UC San Diego (transferred from Community College)
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Chemistry
Graduation Year: 2013

MCAT #1 (2013): 26 (Phys: 9, Verbal: 5, Bio: 12)
MCAT #2 (2017): 514 (C/P: 130, CARS: 125, Bio: 130, P/S: 129)
Explanation: I rushed to take MCAT #1 about a month after graduating, and I didn't study verbal at all. I choked on a CARS passage during MCAT #2 and this resulted in missing the entire last passage. My CARS average from the 3 official AAMC sample/practice exams was 129. In hindsight, I should have hit void.

cGPA: 3.42
sciGPA: 3.29
Explanation: Strong upward trend (DIY Post-Bacc? cGPA of 3.9 and 8 A+'s during my last 5 quarters of college) and decent UCSD-only stats (cGPA of 3.52 and sciGPA of 3.54), but my overall GPA is dragged down significantly by things from my past: F in a 5-unit chemistry course that I had an issue with dropping at community college (repeat), 14 units of college courses (~2.7 GPA) during high school, and 3 withdrawals (which I don't believe impact my GPA)

Letters of Recommendation: General Partner at Investment Fund (2017), Genetics Lab Research Professor (2014), Biology Professor, A+ grade (2014), Biology Professor, A+ in course and served as teaching assistant (2013), Psychology Professor, A grade (2013)


Activities Page
Genetics Lab Research: ~1000 hours (No publication; meaningful experience)
Undergraduate Research Conferences: 3 attended (2 for genetics research, 1 for ED clinical research)

ED Clinical Research: ~900 hours (Manuscript not published; also involved ED volunteering)
Radiology Volunteer: ~220 hours (Also enrolled patients into CT angiography clinical study)
ED/Hematology Volunteer: ~280 hours (High school volunteering)
Physician Shadowing: ~98 hours (5 different physicians; meaningful experience w/ rural physician)

Teaching Assistant: ~100 hours (Upper division biochemistry course)
Low-Income High School Mentor: ~80 hours (1 year; mentor to 2 high school students)
Officer of Student Health Org: ~180 hours (1.5 years; weekly meetings)
Temple Volunteer: ~400 hours (3 years; community outreach programs)

Term Honors: ~7 Term Honors (>3.50 GPA in a semester/quarter)
Samatha Meditation: ~800 hours (Started the practice during a very stressful year in my life)


Post-Graduation Activities
Notary Public and Real Estate Agent: >2000 hours (6 years; part-time during college)
Acquisitions Analyst & Asset Manager: >5000 hours (3 years; distressed debt investment fund)
Explanation: I continued with my research at UCSD for about 6 months after graduation. Then, I was offered an opportunity to work at a distressed debt and commercial real estate investment fund. It gave me a chance to explore a field that I was always interested in, but it also made my desires for a life-long career in medicine much more clear.

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[Faha]

You have a good MCAT score and there is no reason to retake. When are you planning to apply?

 

[bears1992]

I'd say you absolutely have a shot at MD. You just need to craft a good school list from MSAR.

 

[Belyzel4]

Thanks for the responses! I was intending to apply this current cycle to start in Fall of 2018. I know I am late in the cycle, but my work schedule only loosened up for studying this summer. On the MSAR, my low GPA and 125 CARS either doesn't make the cutoff or barely makes the 10th percentile at many of the lower-tiers. I was trying to use this retake to show achievement in at least 1 of the 2 academic criteria (MCAT over GPA), but that did not work out. Would you happen to have any school suggestions in particular?

 

[workaholic181]

Thanks for the responses! I was intending to apply this current cycle to start in Fall of 2018. I know I am late in the cycle, but my work schedule only loosened up for studying this summer. On the MSAR, my low GPA and 125 CARS either doesn't make the cutoff or barely makes the 10th percentile at many of the lower-tiers. I was trying to use this retake to show achievement in at least 1 of the 2 academic criteria (MCAT over GPA), but that did not work out. Would you happen to have any school suggestions in particular?

I have similar stats and have applied MD. You need to get your apps in ASAP though.

 

[Belyzel4]

I definitely agree that time is not on my side. My plan is to submit this weekend if all is fine.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Loma Linda
Vermont
Quinnipiac
New York Medical College
Albany
Hofstra
Penn State
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
GW
Georgetown
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
St.Louis
Creighton
Tulane
West Virginia
Eastern Virginia

 

[Belyzel4]

Thank you very much @Faha. I appreciate you taking your time to work out a list. One more thing that caught my attention while browsing the forums was averages. I have come across a few posts by @Goro, @gyngyn, and @LizzyM on the topic of MCAT/GPA averages.

My overall MCAT average of ~30 (26 to 34 for my 514) is barely making the cut, but my CARS average of 6.5 is a significantly low value. Does this mean I should have planned on 2 MCAT retakes to push the average above the acceptance average?

On the GPA side of things, I took a super senior year in an attempt to push my minor toward a 2nd major. So my AMCAS application shows Junior Year (UCSD 1st Year) and Senior Year (UCSD 2nd-3rd Years). This results in a trend of cGPA 3.17 -> 3.66. Split into 3 years would show a trend of cGPA 3.17 -> 3.47 -> 3.85. I would have preferred admissions to see my quarterly upward trend rather than everything averaged together. At the very least, is there something I can do to split everything into 3 years rather than 2? EDIT: GPA part clarified by an AMCAS phone call below.

 

[Faha]

Your MCAT of 26 from 2013 will likely be ignored since it was so long ago.

 

[Goro]

You have a good MCAT score and there is no reason to retake. When are you planning to apply?

I'd say you absolutely have a shot at MD. You just need to craft a good school list from MSAR.

I agree

 

[Belyzel4]

Thank you for the quick responses. I will fix the error I made below on my application and submit by this weekend.

I called AMCAS to clarify the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year GPA's. It turns out my ~2.5 years of time spent at community college will have to be reorganized as my FR, SO, and JR years. My entire 3 years at UCSD will lumped into the SR year. Would the following be cause for concern?

cGPA: 3.46 (FR) -> 3.12 (SO) -> 3.74 (JR) -> 3.52 (SR)
sciGPA: 3.00 (FR) -> 2.64 (SO) -> 3.76 (JR) -> 3.54 (SR)
Explanation: The 2.64 in sophomore year is due to the chemistry course I forgot to drop. It was resolved later by academic renewal, but the AMCAS manual stated that I still have to put it in.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

and any future as a physician are gone

You have a chance at MD, apply broadly. However, unless you would rather not be an MD than be a doctor you need to apply to some DO schools as well. Your stats would get you into one of the stronger schools.